Stacking Container

ABSTRACT

Embodiments are presented herein that provide a beverage container made of a beverage holder and a base, wherein the base can be detached from the beverage holder and reattached repeatedly without rendering the base incapable of reattachment. In a preferred embodiment, the bottom of the beverage holder is retained in an aperture in the base by an interference fit. The removability of the base from the beverage holder allows a plurality of bases to be stacked together and a plurality of beverage holders to be stacked together, for ease in storage and transport.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 61/610,602, filed on Mar. 14, 2012, and incorporated by reference asif fully rewritten herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

Embodiments of the invention relate to beverage containers and methodsof making beverage containers.

2. Description of the Related Art

Some beverage containers consist of only a beverage holder; thisincludes, for example, a traditional cup or mug. Optionally suchcontainers may include a handle or handles. Many other beveragecontainers, however, include a base that extends beyond the periphery ofthe beverage-holding portion of the beverage container. The base may bedesigned to help the beverage holding portion of the container maintainan upright position either with or without the inclusion of a beveragein the container. This may be important when a container is “top heavy,”or when the bottom of the container tapers to the extent that thecontainer could not be expected to reliably remain upright withoutadditional assistance. In other cases a base may not be necessary to thefunction of the beverage container but might still be desirable from anaesthetic point of view.

Often the base is integral to the beverage container. This can present anumber of complications. First, many beverage containers are made byeither injection molding or blow molding. The use of these techniques toprepare a base/container combination is technically challenging, mayrequire additional equipment, and is not always successful. Second, theinclusion of a base integral to a container may make storage andshipping of multiple containers difficult and/or expensive, because thecontainers are not easily stackable, if they are stackable at all.

A number of solutions have been proposed to solve these problems. Forexample, containers have been designed so that the base is a separateelement from the container. The base is then attached to the containerby a press or screw fit. Another proposed solution is presented by U.S.Pat. No. 7,140,504, to Baron. The '504 patent proposes a containerincluding an axial, beverage-holding extension. This extension may beplaced within a complicated, blow-molded base. Unfortunately, the baseof the '504 patent is difficult or indeed impossible to stack whenalone, and when combined with a container the base may be difficult orimpossible to remove while keeping both the base and the containerintact. Furthermore, the blow-molding process is expensive andtime-consuming.

Some beverage containers have a separate base that can be attached tothe beverage-holding portion, however, once assembled, often theassembly is permanent and the base and the beverage-holding portioncannot be detached and reassembled. This makes it difficult to transportthis type of beverage container after assembly.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments are presented herein that provide a beverage containercomprising a beverage holder and a base. We provide beverage containersincluding a beverage holder and a base, wherein the base can be detachedfrom the beverage holder and reattached repeatedly without rendering thebase incapable of reattachment. The removability of the base from thebeverage holder allows a plurality of bases to be stacked together and aplurality of beverage holders to be stacked together, for ease instorage and transport. The beverage holder typically has a bottom and atleast one sidewall connected to the bottom, which allows the containerto hold a beverage. The base may be a ring, a portion of a cone, oranother shape sufficient to prevent or help prevent the beverage holderfrom tipping when the container is filled with a beverage. The base hasan aperture in its center for the attachment of the lower end of thebeverage holder to the base. Although circular is a common shape for thebeverage holder and base, other shapes are also possible.

In embodiments of this invention, the base is deformable to a sufficientextent to allow introduction of the bottom of the beverage holder intothe aperture in the base. Once the bottom of the beverage holder hasbeen placed in the aperture, it is retained by an interference fit. Thebase and holder may be separated at the convenience of the user andrepeatedly reconnected.

In one embodiment of this invention, a beverage container comprises abeverage holder and a base. The beverage holder has a bottom, at leastone sidewall connected to the bottom, an upper end, a lower end, and anextension at the lower end that terminates in a lip that is slightlylarger in size than the perimeter of the lower extension. Thesidewall(s) and extension join to form a shoulder. The base has an innerperimeter surrounding an aperture, an outer perimeter defining the edgeof the base, an upper end, a lower end, and an extension at the upperend. The base extends beyond the outer perimeter of the extension of thebeverage holder and the base connects to the beverage holder by engagingthe lip of the extension of the beverage holder. The base is detachablefrom the beverage holder without rendering the base incapable ofreattachment to the beverage holder; thus, the base can be repeatedlyattached to and detached from the beverage holder.

In another embodiment, the beverage container has a beverage holder thatis a cylinder, a right circular cylinder, a frustum of a cone, or anon-circular cylindrical shape.

In a preferred embodiment, the diameter of the sidewall of the beverageholder decreases from top to bottom.

In yet another embodiment, the bottom of the beverage holder does notextend any further into the base than is necessary to allow the beverageholder to be retained in the base.

In another preferred embodiment, the sidewall has a top ring.

In another embodiment, the base helps the beverage holder remain in anupright position.

In yet another embodiment, the base is ring-shaped or has the shape of afrustum of a cone.

In another embodiment, the base has a circular, oval, square,rectangular, or irregular shape.

In a preferred embodiment, the aperture and the outer perimeter of thebase are both circular in shape.

In yet another embodiment, the aperture and the outer perimeter of thebase do not have the same general shape.

In another embodiment, the beverage holder and said base areindependently made from a material that is the same or different and isone of polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinylchloride, polypropylene,polystyrene, or glass.

In yet another embodiment, the appearance of the beverage holder and thebase is the same or different and can be transparent, translucent, oropaque, or combinations thereof.

In another embodiment, the beverage holder and base are made in the sameway or in a different way and are independently made from eitherinjection molding or blow molding.

In yet another embodiment, the base is deformable to a sufficient extentto allow the introduction of the bottom of the beverage holder into theaperture in the base such that the beverage holder contacts the base andis retained by an interference fit.

In another embodiment, the beverage container has at least one handle.

In yet another embodiment, the beverage container has a design on thesurface of the beverage holder and/or the base.

In a preferred embodiment, the beverage holder is stackable with atleast one other beverage holder when the base is separated from thebeverage holder.

In yet another preferred embodiment, the base is stackable with at leastone other base when not attached to the beverage holder.

In another embodiment, the base is frustoconical.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

In the accompanying drawings we have shown certain preferred embodimentsof our beverage container in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a beverage container of theinvention, including both the base and the holder in their combinedorientation.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a beverage container of theinvention, this time with the base and the holder separated.

FIG. 3 shows a side view of a beverage container of the invention.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of a beverage container of the invention, withthe beverage holder and base separated.

FIG. 5 shows a top view of a beverage container of the invention.

FIG. 6 shows a top view of the separated beverage container components.

FIG. 7 shows a bottom view of the beverage container of the invention.

FIG. 8 shows a bottom view of the separated beverage containercomponents.

FIGS. 9-12 show detailed views of multiple bases of the invention indifferent colors.

FIG. 13 shows additional embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

We have found that a useful and aesthetically pleasing beveragecontainer may be made by inserting the bottom of a beverage holder intoan aperture in a base. Typically both the base and the beverage holderare separately injection molded.

The appearance of the beverage holder and the base may be separatelyselected from transparent, translucent, opaque, or some combination ofthose. A label or design may be attached or incorporated on a surface ofthe base or holder to indicate the type of beverage or may communicatesome other message, for example an advertisement.

The shape of the beverage container may be, but is not required to be,reminiscent of or otherwise similar to those that consumers alreadyassociate with particular beverages. For example, the holder may be ashape traditionally useful for distribution and consumption of apilsner, lager, milkshake, or soda. In other embodiments the shape ofall or part of the beverage container may be ornamental; for example, itmay have a character shape. In some embodiments the container may have ahandle. The shape of the base may also vary. For example, when thecontainer is character-shaped, the base may be shaped like feet.

Although various embodiments are described in the context of beveragecontainers, containers for other liquids may also be made according tovarious embodiments of the invention. For example, laboratory“glassware” and/or medical containers may be replaced by a stackablecontainer of the invention.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the attachedfigures, which may be reviewed to assist with a better understanding ofthe invention.

FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4 show views of a typical embodiment of theinvention. A beverage container 1 includes a beverage holder 3 and abase 5. The beverage holder 3 includes a bottom 9, at least one sidewall7 connected to the bottom 9, an upper end of beverage holder 19, a lowerend of beverage holder 21, and a lower extension 23 at the lower end ofbeverage holder 21 having a lower extension outer perimeter 11 whichterminates in a lip 33 that is slightly larger in size than the lowerextension outer perimeter 11 of the beverage holder 3. The at least oneside wall 7 and lower extension 23 join to form a shoulder 25.

The base 5 includes a base inner perimeter 13 surrounding an aperture, abase outer perimeter 15 that defines the edge of the base, an upper endof base 27, a lower end of base 29, and an upper extension 31 of base 5at said upper end of base 27. The base 5 extends beyond the lowerextension outer perimeter 11. The upper end of base 27 has an apertureessentially equal to the size and shape of the lower extension 23 of thebeverage holder 3 for receipt of the lower extension 23 of the beverageholder 3 when the beverage holder 3 and the base 5 are combined. Thebase 5 connects to the beverage holder 3 by engaging the lip 33 of thelower extension 23 of the beverage holder 3. The base 5 is detachablefrom the beverage holder 3 without rendering the base incapable ofreattachment to the beverage holder. The base 5 and the beverage holder3 can be repeatedly connected and disconnected.

The beverage holder may be made of a number of materials. For example,it may be polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinylchloride, polypropylene,or polystyrene. Other plastics, polymers, glass, metals, and wood, amongother materials, are also acceptable.

In FIG. 4, the lower extension 23 of the beverage holder is shown ascircular. Although this is the preferred shape of the bottom, othershapes are possible so long as a corresponding aperture may be formed inthe base. For example, the bottom may be oval, square, rectangular, orirregularly shaped.

The preferred embodiment is shown wherein the beverage holder has asingle sidewall that takes the shape of a frustum of a cone. However,those skilled in the art will recognize that the container may be acylinder, including a right circular cylinder or other non-circularcylindrical shape. The sidewall may also be ornamental; for example, itmay have a character shape. In some embodiments the sidewall has a topring 17.

The base may also be made of a number of materials. These material usedfor the base may be, but is not required to be, the same as that of thebeverage holder. Preferably the base is deformable to the extentnecessary to allow the outer perimeter of the bottom of the beverageholder to be placed into the inner perimeter of the base and then beheld by an interference fit. Of course, the base should not be sodeformable that it is unable to support the beverage holder in a desiredposition when it is filled with a beverage.

The inner perimeter and outer perimeter of the base do not need to havethe same general shape. In preferred embodiments they are both circular.The base material between the inner and outer perimeters of the base maybe straight or curved. The base may have a circular slot able to engagethe lip that runs around the lower extension outer perimeter of thelower extension of the beverage holder.

Embodiments are described herein may offer one or more significantadvantages over the prior art. The bases and beverage holders are easilystacked, assembled, shipped, stored, and disassembled. Typically thebottom of the beverage holder does not extend any further into the basethan is necessary to allow the beverage holder to be retained within thebase.

This design solves a number of issues presented by the prior art. Forexample, by having the bottom extend only a short way into the base, thepossibility that the bottom will snap off within the base is eliminated.This is a significant risk with some of the art, for example, thecontainer shown in the '504 patent, that when a sideways force isapplied to the beverage holder the bottom of the holder will snap offand remain lodged in the base, thereby ruining the container. This isnot a concern with embodiments of this invention, where placing alateral force against the holder will, at best, remove it intact fromthe base, ready to be used again.

Additionally, the use of the aperture in the base provides substantialbenefits to manufacturing. Without the aperture in the base,construction of the base would require complicated and expensivetooling. The alternative might be a “press fit,” which is lesssatisfactory as well.

Those skilled in the art will recognize with the advantage of thisdisclosure that both the base and the beverage holder may be injectionmolded. The beverage holder may also be blow molded if necessary.Significantly, bases used in a number of embodiments of the inventionlack a return, which eliminates or curtails the necessity to blow moldthe base.

While we have shown and described certain present preferred embodimentsof our beverage container and have illustrated certain present preferredmethods of making and using the same, it is to be distinctly understoodthat the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variouslyembodied and practiced by those skilled in the art with the benefit ofthe disclosure made herein.

Patents, patent applications, publications, scientific articles, books,web sites, and other documents and materials referenced or mentionedherein are indicative of the levels of skill of those skilled in the artto which the inventions pertain, as of the date each publication waswritten, and all are incorporated by reference as if fully rewrittenherein. Inclusion of a document in this specification is not anadmission that the document represents prior invention or is prior artfor any purpose.

What is claimed is:
 1. A beverage container comprising: a beverageholder, said beverage holder comprising a bottom, at least one sidewallconnected to said bottom, an upper end of beverage holder, a lower endof beverage holder, and a lower extension at said lower end of beverageholder having a lower extension outer perimeter, said lower extensionterminating in a lip of a slightly larger size than the lower extensionouter perimeter, wherein said at least one sidewall and said lowerextension join to form a shoulder; and a base, said base comprising abase inner perimeter surrounding an aperture, a base outer perimeterdefining an edge of the base, and an upper end of base, a lower end ofbase, an upper extension of the base at said upper end of base, whereinsaid base extends beyond the lower extension outer perimeter, whereinsaid base connects to said beverage holder by engaging said lip of saidlower extension of said beverage holder, and wherein said base isdetachable from said beverage holder without rendering the baseincapable of reattachment to the beverage holder.
 2. The beveragecontainer of claim 1 wherein said beverage holder has a shape selectedfrom a cylinder, a right circular cylinder, a frustum of a cone, and anon-circular cylindrical shape.
 3. The beverage container of claim 1,wherein the diameter of said sidewall decreases from top to bottom. 4.The beverage container of claim 1, wherein said bottom of said beverageholder does not extend any further into the base than is necessary toallow said beverage holder to be retained within the base.
 5. Thebeverage container of claim 1, further comprising wherein said sidewallhas a top ring.
 6. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein said basehelps said beverage holder maintain an upright position.
 7. The beveragecontainer of claim 1, wherein said base has a shape selected from thegroup consisting of a ring and a frustum of a cone.
 8. The beveragecontainer of claim 1, wherein said base has a shape selected from thegroup consisting of circular, oval, square, rectangular, and irregularlyshaped.
 9. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein said base innerperimeter and said base outer perimeter both have a circular shape. 10.The beverage container of claim 1, further comprising wherein said baseinner perimeter and said base outer perimeter do not have the samegeneral shape.
 11. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein saidbeverage holder and said base are independently made from a materialthat is the same or different and is selected from the group consistingof polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinylchloride, polypropylene,polystyrene, and glass.
 12. The beverage container of claim 1, whereinthe appearance of said beverage holder and said base is the same ordifferent and is independently selected from the group consisting oftransparent, translucent, and opaque, and combinations thereof.
 13. Thebeverage container of claim 1, wherein said beverage holder and saidbase are made in the same way or in a different way and areindependently made from a method selected from the group consisting ofinjection molding and blow molding.
 14. The beverage container of claim1, wherein said base is deformable to a sufficient extent to allowintroduction of said bottom of the beverage holder into said aperture insaid base such that said beverage holder contacts said base and isretained by an interference fit.
 15. The beverage container of claim 1further comprising at least one handle.
 16. The beverage container ofclaim 1 further comprising wherein a design is incorporated on a surfaceof at least one of said beverage holder and said base.
 17. The beveragecontainer of claim 1, wherein said beverage holder is stackable with atleast one other beverage holder when said base is separated from thebeverage holder.
 18. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein saidbase is stackable with at least one other base when not attached to thebeverage holder.
 19. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the baseouter perimeter is attached to the base inner perimeter by afrustoconical surface.